4 Things No One Tells You About Goats

Before we got goats I knew there would be surprises, but I thought I was generally prepared. I had talked to goat breeders, read ebooks, websites, etc. I thought I was more or less in the know… Here are 4 things no one tells you about goats:

The thing you desire to keep; they desire to eat

If they get out they will eat the one thing you don’t want them to, a beloved rose bush, pomegranate bush everyone told you would never grow in this part of the country… your neighbor’s tree that is planted on a loved one’s ashes… yes, that really happened… Point is they will find it and they will eat it.

They are REALLY Clever

You may have heard this, but you can not really appreciate the magnitude of it. If your goats are bored they will spend the every moment contemplating ways to escape. They may look like they are harmlessly chewing their cud. Don’t be deceived, they are scheming. The will find and exploit the weaknesses of the enclosure, whether it be over, under or through said fence. Goats are clever, very clever.

Elvis is the master of escape. He has yet to find a pen he can’t get out of.

How do you keep a goat entertained, you ask? Beats me. I once spent a whole day making a playground for our goats, because I read from a reputable source that they like to play. Only to come out the next day to find them chewing on my pomegranate bush… Again. Goats like to eat things that are growing way more than they like goat pellets, that’s all I know.

They are Embarrassing

If someone asks to see your goats, that is the moment your billy goat will decide to do all the disgusting things billy goats do. He will embarrass you and shock your guest. I cringe every time I hear that question, especially if it is from a child because then they have questions. And who wants to explain to a 7-year-old that billy goats pee on themselves because the ladies dig it.

They can be Bullies

Some goats have bad attitudes. Not necessarily towards you either. They may seem like the darling of the farmyard until you aren’t looking, then they will harass your dogs, knock over and eat your chicken feed, and pull your roosters tail feathers out. You may spend weeks trying to figure out why your rooster is going bald, until one day you look out the window and low and behold your darling has ahold of your rooster by his last remaining tail feather and it all makes sense.

Dolly… The chicken bully

Don’t get me wrong goats are great, they can be sweet and affectionate, and an entertaining addition to a farm. But they are work, as with any farm animal. There will be moments when you question your choices. But most of the time they are pretty cool…